Nat-Gas Prices Spike Before Contract Expiration
Natural gas prices rebounded on Wednesday ahead of the expiration of the August Nymex contract, closing up 2.37% to +0.063.
The price increase is attributed to fund short covering as the last trading day for the August contract approached.
Weighing against natural gas prices was a shift in weather models showing cooler temperatures in the Midwest and East Coast, reducing air conditioning demand.
A large-than-normal build in US gas storage also contributed to the bearish outlook, with consensus forecasts predicting an increase of +37 bcf for the week ended July 24, above the five-year average of +26 bcf.